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Analysis of Drunk

Synopsis= Despite being a short poem, Duffy is conveying a literal and metaphorical message within 'Drunk' by demonstrating the reasons for and effects of using escapism's, in this case in the form of alcohol. Some critics see the intoxication of the speaker as being metaphorical of a broken relationship.

 Key Quotations + Analysis=
Suddenly the rain is hilarious
The moon wobbles in the dusk

What a laugh. Unseen frogs
belch in the damp grass

The strange perfumes of darkening trees.
Cheap red wine

and the whole world a mouth.
Give me a double, a kiss.

1.) "The moon wobbles"
  • Alcohol has distorted the speakers vision, they cant see straight as they cannot see past the broken relationship. The word choice "wobble" is somewhat immature which could connote that the speaker uses alcohol to become more joyous and humorous. The moon is symbolic of many things 
  1. Insanity= The speaker feels delusional which we could evidently blame on the alcohol which often turns an individual disorientated, however one could reverse this and imply that the effects of the relationship could be turning the speaker insane and therefore the alcohol acts as a device to keep her sane 
  2. Guiding light= The moon often acts as a guiding light however the fact that it wobbles demonstrates that this guiding figure is blurred for the speaker making it difficult to go in the right direction.
2.) "Unseen frogs"
  • This line could have a possible reference to the fairy tale allegory where a princess kisses a frog and discovers a prince, this could connote that there is a world out there full of men for the speaker, however the word choice "unseen" gives a sinister connotation as it could imply that the other men the speaker may encounter may not be pleasant.

3.) "Cheap red wine"
  • This gives the alcohol a meaningless association as it emphasises that the type of alcohol does not matter to the speaker it is the quantity of it. The purpose of the alcohol is to not enjoy a flavour but to get drunk to mask pain, they are more bothered about the feeling that alcohol gives as opposed to the alcohol itself. One could say the speaker is drowning their sorrows.

4.) "Whole world a mouth"
  • This is an ambiguous line and it could have many connotations and links, it could suggest that the speaker is surrounded and overwhelmed by possible sexual encounters that could be beyond the restricting relationship, it could also be a reference to how the world consumes people.
  • It could also link to alcohol in how the speaker is not alone in using alcohol as an escapism, the whole world uses drinking as a way to escape.
Links to other poems= 
The suicide= Both speakers desperately crave an escape from their situation, the escapism used in the suicide is more sinister and abrupt than in Drunk
Valentine= Both speakers state that they are victims of a broken and truthful love



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